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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445690">Day 149</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard'>Josh_the_Bard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [149]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:54:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24445690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Year in Kirkwall [149]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Day 149</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Boral didn’t like to be the first one at a meeting spot. The longer you waited around with product the more likely you were to attract attention. Rhatigan had warned Boral about making clients wait too long, and Boral had found that being exactly seven minutes late was the perfect balance.</p>
<p>It therefore irked him incredibly when he arrived at his meeting with the mages, and they were not yet there. He paced up and down the alley glancing nervously at the cart of lyrium he had with him. Rhatigan would not be happy if Boral bailed on the exchange, but he would be furious if he lost the lyrium to the guards or templars. </p>
<p>He waited five minutes before deciding that the risks were too much. He was about to signal his men when five mages entered the alley. Boral fumed, beaten at his own game.</p>
<p>“You’re late,” he grumbled.</p>
<p>“You’re always late,” the lead mage replied. He was tall for an elf, with wispy red hair and yellow eyes. Boral was fairly sure he had never seen this mage before. </p>
<p>“Where’s Jorrel,” he asked.</p>
<p>“Jorrel is not in charge of Catra relations anymore,” the mage said. “I am taking his place and I will be changing the way things operate.”</p>
<p>“We already worked out the prices,” Boral said. “They stay as they are.”</p>
<p>“That’s too bad,” said the mage. “Because we are willing to pay more in exchange for a change in your business practises.”</p>
<p>“Dwarves don’t like change,” Boral replied. He decided that he didn’t like this mage, not one bit. “What did you say your name was?”</p>
<p>“Call me Vamen,” said the mage. “Our ask is non-negotiable but the increase in price is.”</p>
<p>Boral spat into the dirt. There was a distinct lack of exchange happening in this exchange. This Vamen was bad news and Boral wanted to be gone from here as soon as possible.</p>
<p>“What is it you want?” Boral asked. He subtly signaled his men to get ready. Whether to fight or flee he hadn't decided yet.</p>
<p>“You do business with the templars,” Vamen sneered. “Playing both sides of the conflict, as it were. This ends today. You sell to us exclusively or not at all.”</p>
<p>“Bold words for someone without a supply line,” Boral retorted. He eyed the other mages. They were all thin, but that meant little when it came to mages. Dwarves resisted magic but that was not as useful as you might think when someone was hitting you with a lightning bolt. Rhatigan would never go for cutting off a source of income. The mages were hardly united and Boral doubted that refusing their offer would be as damaging as accepting it.</p>
<p>“I can bring your offer to the boss,” Boral lied. “But I doubt he’ll go for it.”</p>
<p>“That is unfortunate,” Vamen sighed. “Perhaps a demonstration of what we do to templar sympathisers is in order.” </p>
<p>The mages sprang into action but Boral’s men were already prepared. Three of the robes were dead before they had even readied their staves. Vamen and his surviving companion continued, undaunted. A blast of energy hit the lyrium cart and the blighted thing exploded, showering the alley in spliners and blue liquid. Boral scrambled to escape the shower, if he got any of the lyrium into his blood it would scramble his mind like an egg.</p>
<p>The two of the mages Boral thought were dead were back on their feet, very much alive. Sodding mages and their healing. Half of the men he had brought with him were motionless on the ground and the rest were being picked off one by one.</p>
<p>Boral crawled over to a sewer grate and squeezed his way inside.</p>
<p>A few hours later Boral was making his way through the Gallows. Rhatigan had, as Boral suspected, been furious when he heard the news but had calmed down a bit when Boral had explained his plan. The man loved two things, earning coin and getting into fights.</p>
<p>Boral made it all the way to the gates of the Circle before he was stopped by the templars.</p>
<p>“I have information about the mage underground,” had been enough to get him an audience with Knight Captain Cullen himself. Their meeting was short but productive, and the mage underground would soon learn the folly of crossing the Carta.</p>
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